We are Numb

There is no halftime break for satan.
Through the gift of creativity satan seemed to throw out the usual pings.  he had an audience--millions and millions, so why not throw some dark-masked-in-creativity-'humor' at the mass of public waiting with baited breath.

Audi played on the dark vampire series.  Yeh, harmless right?  But it markets all those young professional 20 something people who are making enough salary to afford a monthly payment--all those who have been caught up in the vampire -twilight series for the past five years--in the market for a new car.
Poor form.

And what is it with the entitled rappers?  This is now mainstream entertainment?

So there you have it.  Some pings to you from the powers that be in the entertainment industry.  You weren't entertained you were pinged!
And what is sad is the majority of people didn't even know it.

We are numb and in our sleep the devil prowls.

Announcements

Announcements...what a terrible way to die.

A long time ago, in an Episcopal church far, far away--the rector inherited a liturgical celebration full of oddities.  At one point people would randomly stand and make their own announcement.  They ranged from selling flowers to volunteer forms to the occasional socio-economic-political agenda/fundraiser.  After a few weeks of observing that the same people were making the same announcements and that the same people had trouble hearing them, the rector made a decision.  He wanted the announcements to be submitted to the office so he could clearly pronounce them at the sunday service.
The move was seen as usurping control--which eventually contributed to his demise thus setting the stage for a rather miraculous intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


 I guess announcements are what helped return me to the Catholic Church?!


Still, I  can't stand it when announcement overkill occurs.


I attended Holy Mass at a parish this weekend (in another diocese---of course it was far away).
There were a total of six announcements concerning two different collections (before Mass, then by the pastor, then by the cantor)
Then were two talks after communion.  One of which was a plea for another collection of funds following Mass (for a youth mission trip of which I completely understand the necessity--just poor timing).  The other talk was to inspire/invite people to Eucharistic Adoration (again I completely understand)
I am afraid however that the invitation to spend time in Adoration was completely lost--but of course the Holy Spirit will take care of that!

I scanned the congregation during the post communion talks and found that about 1/3 of them left following Holy Communion.
No wonder they announced the collections 6 times.

I left exhausted

Rolling up the sleeves Part II

Here is an update and strong words from a strong bishop....

Bishop Zubik, Pittsburgh on the recent health care proposal....

Kathleen Sebelius and through her, the Obama administration, have said “To Hell with You” to the Catholic faithful of the United States.

• To Hell with your religious beliefs,
• To Hell with your religious liberty,
• To Hell with your freedom of conscience.

We’ll give you a year, they are saying, and then you have to knuckle under. As Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops responded, “in effect, the president is saying that we have a year to figure out how to violate our consciences.”

As I wrote to you last September, with this mandate the democratic process is being ignored while we are being ordered to ignore our religious beliefs. And we are being told not only to violate our beliefs, but to pay directly for that violation; to subsidize the imposition of a contraceptive and abortion culture on every person in the United States.

Go Bishop...

St. Michael--pray for us.